The Stage
Ambi Robotics retained Silver Project Group in 2021 to conduct a search for it’s first non-founder Chief Executive Officer. Ambi was at the time a seed stage AI/Robotics startup based in Oakland, CA. SPG was introduced to Ambi Robotics through it’s strong partnership with Berkeley-based VC, The House Fund. The company was ready to raise its next round of fundraising, which made the CEO search a business-critical step.
The Challenge
Ambi Robotics was a company in it’s early stages of growth. Ambi had an exciting product, differentiated technology, paying customers and a strong technical founding team, which made the company appealing in many aspects. To be successful in this role, the CEO needed a background in the industry (parcel, packaging, shipping, 3PL, e-commerce, robotics), deep understanding of new AI/robotics technologies that would drive industry-wide evolution and business operating acumen to scale and lead the organization, fundraise with VC/PE firms and generate new clients and revenue.
Key Client Contacts
Jeff Mahler
CTO & Co-Founder, Ambi Robotics
Stephen McKinley
VP Operations & Co-Founder, Ambi Robotics
Insik Rhee
General Partner, Vertex Ventures US
Team Leads
Jason Silver
Principal & Founder, Silver Project Group
The Execution
Silver Project Group began by developing the talent ecosystem for the search. In partnership with the founding team, SPG identified key target companies, competitors to include and companies to disregard from the search. A deep dive into the current state of pick and pack robotics was necessary to craft a compelling job packet and sales pitch.
Candidate calibration happened within two week time and a long list of candidates was then shortened to a smaller target for catered outreach.
Once key candidate were selected and initial interview conducted, SPG crafted an onsite interview panel with the co-founding team. In the thick of COVID-19, precautions were taken to distance socially whenever possible and to utilize protective material to reduce any possibility of getting sick.
After inviting two exceptional candidates onsite into the Ambi warehouse, both finalists were asked to interview with key investors at Vertex Ventures, The House Fund and Bow Capital to finalize a candidate decision.
The Result
After a rigorous search and balancing numerous criteria, Jim Liefer was hired as the CEO of Ambi Robotics. Jim brings 25+ years of leadership experience in the robotics, shipping and e-commerce industries, holding executive roles at UPS, WalMart, One Kings Lane, Kindred.ai, HDS Global.
Client Testimonial
"I worked with Silver Project Group to fill a critical executive role at my startup. Jason was thoughtful and meticulous in helping us develop an ideal candidate profile and was highly successful at sourcing individuals who could be a good fit. He also excelled at coordinating interviews and meetings with founders, employees, and investors and aggregating feedback to help us make the best possible decision. On top of all that, he brought excitement and a positive attitude to every meeting and made the process much more enjoyable. Overall, Jason is an exceptional recruiter and we would be delighted to work with SPG again in the future."
- Jeff Mahler (CTO & Co-Founder, Ambi Robotics)